Ape Machine

Ape Machine
Ape Machine circa 2021.
Background information
Origin	Portland, Oregon, USA
Genres	Heavy Rock, Stoner Rock
Years active	2009 - Present
Labels	Heavy Psych Sounds, Ripple Music
Associated acts	The Evening Episode, Minmae, 30footFALL, Fenix TX, Latch Key Kids, Riverfenix, Sing The Body Electric, Armed For Apocalypse
Website	Ape Machine Official

Ape Machine are a heavy rock quartet based out of Portland, Oregon. Founded in 2009 and named as a tribute to reel-to-reel recording, Ape Machine would be described as "a rock and roll band with a finger on the pulse of the 70's and their asses firmly in the present" and "real heavy-psych for the iPhone generation that direction true guts and glory rock and roll."

Since forming the band has released four studio albums, an extended play and a live album, all the while touring all over North America and Europe.

History

Ape Machine would be founded in 2009, featuring ex-members of Slow Dance recording artist Evening Episode, Grey Day Record’s Minmae, plus MCA Record's Fenix TX, with their earliest known shows in August 2009.Building towards a debut album and recording at The Magic Closet (located in the historic Meek family house in the Sellwood neighborhood) in Portland, This House Has Been Condemned would see release on 4 May 2010. A second album in War to Head would see release on 20 September 2011, just sixteen months after their debut and following with their first known tour.

In 2012 the band would sign with Ripple Music and begin work on a third album, recording with a guest in keyboardist Ikey Owens (The Mars Volta, Jack White, etc.). Mangled By The Machine saw release on 5 July 2013 to positive reviews, with the band touring Europe alongside Greek stoner legends Nightstalker. Notably the band would perform at Freak Valley Festival, which would be released as a live album two years later. The band would briefly be involved with Italian label Heavy Psych Sounds for their EP Coalition of The Unwilling.

Following touring Europe again in 2015, the band would perform frequent tours through North America alongside the likes of Ghetto Blaster, Black Pussy, Year of The Cobra and High Priestess among others. Ape Machine would release their fourth studio album Darker Seas on 7 September 2018 to positive reviews. In 2021 the band would announce a new drummer and a fifth album in the works. In early 2022 Ape Machine would be announced to perform at RippleFest Texas.

Members

Current Lineup

• Caleb Heinze - Vocals (2009 - Present)
• Ian Watts - Guitar (2009 - Present)
• Brian True - Bass (2009 - Present)
• Nick Harris - Drums (2021 - Present)

Past Members

• Damon De La Paz - Drums (2009 - 2020)

Discography

Studio Albums

• This House Has Been Condemned (2010, Self-Released)
• War To Head (2011, Self-Released)
• Mangled By The Machine (2013, Ripple Music)
• Darker Seas (2018, Ripple Music)
• TBA (2022, Ripple Music)

Other Releases

• Live at Freak Valley (Live Album) (2015, Ripple Music)
• Coalition Of The Unwilling (EP) (2015, Heavy Psych Sounds)

Tours

• War to Head Tour (2011)
• Dead Rock Commandos European Tour (With Nightstalker) (2013)
• August 2013 West Coast Tour (2013)
• March 2014 North American Tour (2014)
• Fall Tour 2014 (2014)
• Spring 2015 North American Tour (With Ghetto Blaster) (2015)
• 2015 European Tour (2015)
• Fall 2015 North American Tour (With Black Pussy) (2015)
• 2016 North American Tour (2016)
• 2016 West Coast Tour (2016)
• 2017 North American Tour (With Year of The Cobra) (2017)
• The Great Northern Expedition (With High Priestess, Salem's Bend) (2018)
• 2019 North American Tour (With Telekinetic Yeti) (2019)
• A Small Joint on The West Coast (With 1000mods, Fatso Jetson) (2019)

Links

• Ape Machine Official
• Ape Machine Bandcamp
• Ape Machine Facebook
• Ape Machine Instagram
• Ape Machine on Heavy Psych Sounds
• Ape Machine on Ripple Music